Nearly two months after becoming trapped in Sword Art Online, Asuna and Kirito continue their journey through the castle of Aincrad. Upon reaching the fifth floor, they discover that tensions between the two leading guilds threaten to divide the players fighting on the front lines. With the help of Argo, an experienced information broker, they realize that malicious individuals are attempting to provoke a conflict between the factions. To prevent this rivalry from jeopardizing everyone's chances of survival, Asuna and Kirito must gather allies and prepare for a particularly dangerous battle against the floor boss. But in this deadly game, other players may prove just as threatening as the monsters.